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For Myles Brennan, the 2020 football season is over.
Ed Orgeron told reporters today that, “The best thing we’d do is go ahead an go through an operation that could help him out. We haven’t made a final decision, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be back unless some miraculous thing happens.”
It’s 2020. Nothing miraculous is happening.
This is on the heels of his comments O’s weekly radio show last week, when he said, “He tried to practice. He practiced a little bit. It wasn’t very good. We’ll see how much he can practice next week. Right now, I’d have to say he’s very doubtful the way it is.”
He apparently didn’t look very good, as the scene from practice yesterday was Zach von Rosenberg taking snaps with the Second Team offense, an offensive wrinkle that seems ill-advised.
#LSU coach Ed Orgeron says some walk-ons have stepped up, punter Zach Von Rosenberg has played second-string quarterback, defensive linemen have played on O-line, etc., to get practice work in.
— Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) November 11, 2020
Look, I know ZVR is a former MLB pitcher and all, but lining up a 30-year-old punter to be your quarterback speaks to the team’s desperation to find anyone who can play the position right now. Myles Brennan simply can’t play with this injury.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that LSU can fully commit to this being a season as a write off, and fully commit to playing the freshmen quarterback to see what they got. This is a rare chance for a coach, a chance to give your freshly recruited quarterbacks some meaningful game experience with literally no expectations.
This only makes TJ Finley and Max Johnson better for 2021, when hopefully this team gets back to some semblance of normal. As for Brennan himself, he gets to skip the rest of this season without any of the stink of 2020 landing on him. No matter how bad things get from this point on, Brennan comes out of it smelling like a rose. He’s injured, and can’t be held responsible for the very likely ass kickings soon to come up on the schedule, regardless of who is under center.
He also can get that surgery that he likely needs. Let’s stop kicking the can down the road on that one and let Brennan start his recovery by stop delaying the treatment.
This is the best thing for both LSU from a player development standpoint and for Myles Brennan himself. Look, no one wants to stand behind that patchwork line right now. There are only eight scholarship players who have played in four or more games left on the line, and four true freshmen who this team would very much not have to play against live SEC competition this season.
Considering Zach von Rosenberg was taking reps as the second team quarterback, this means LSU is down to one scholarship quarterback on the roster right now. SEC rules require that a team have one scholarship quarterback to safely play a game, so at this moment, we are one injury away from putting this season on mothballs.
And what are the chances of a quarterback getting hurt standing behind an offensive line composed of walk-ons, converted defensive linemen, and true freshmen? I’m feeling safer already.